The Chemicals in Fracking Fluids | Eastern North Carolina Now

Earth and water, you’ll find plenty of both down there

• Since the 1940s, over a million wells have used hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") safely.
• Numerous academic, federal, and state studies have found no link between hydraulic fracturing and groundwater contamination.
• The process of hydraulic fracturing is not intrinsically dangerous.
• A growing consensus among energy companies, state regulators, academics, and environmentalists is that the safety issue rests in proper well construction.
• That is good news. It means that safe drilling is achievable through proper regulation and company due diligence.
• Chemicals used in fracking are about 99 percent water and sand.
• The rest is a blend of chemical additives used to condition the water, prevent well casing corrosion, control the fluid pH levels, kill bacteria, etc.
• Most of the chemicals used for fracking are also found in typical household products, including soaps, makeup, and other personal
• care products. That means they are chemicals people already willingly encounter daily and safely.
• They are also used in consumer products for homes, pets, and yards.